Articulated Curriculum Works to Retain Language! An Example from FLES Program

1. Articulated Curriculum Works to Retain Language! An Example from FLES Program Kazumi Yamashita-Iverson Maloney Interdistrict Magnet School Waterbury, CT kyamashita@waterbury.k12.ct.us http://teacherweb.com/ct/maloneymagnetschool/japanese http://maloneyjapanese.wikispaces.com

2. JLC Program Summary • Pre-K through 5th Grade • All students are required to take Japanese • Started in February, 1994 • 25 min x once in a week (Pre-K) • 20 min x three times in a week (K) • 25min x three times in a week (1-5th) Kazumi Yamashita-Iverson 2011 JLTANE Conference

3. Japanese Language and Culture Program Philosophy We want our students to: • love studying a foreign language. • love learning Japanese. • develop a range of skills necessary for becoming proficient in any foreign language, such as using learning strategies and dealing with “foreign” situations. • develop good communication skills for any situation, such as interpreting words in context, and using communication strategies. • feel comfortable speaking in Japanese, to native speakers, non-native speakers, and their friends. • have a sense of the concept of culture in general and the Japanese culture in particular. They should know the products, practices, and some of the perspectives of the people of Japan. • develop their knowledge of their own culture and language through learning about another language • want to learn more about Japan and its language, culture, and people Japanese Language and Culture Program 1

4. We have to remember: 1) that our students are young children 2) that our students only learn Japanese three times a week for 25 minutes 3) that any activity we create must be interesting and comprehensible for our students Therefore, we: 1) speak Japanese about 95% of the class time 2) establish a friendly, low-stress, yet disciplined classroom so that everyone has a safe environment in which to learn 3) encourage students to use Japanese whenever possible 4) give our students “hints” if they have trouble remembering a word 5) create units that are age-appropriate and fun, with a strong beginning, middle, and end (like a story!) 6) create lessons that incorporate language, culture, comparisons, and subject area content 7) introduce students to a variety of cultural games, items, crafts, songs, holidays, and customs 8) Give students opportunities to use what they learn outside the classroom, through homework challenges, take-home projects and a comprehensive website. Japanese Language and Culture Program Kazumi Yamashita-Iverson 2011 JLTANE Conference

5. JLC Curriculum It is based on: • National Standards for Foreign Language Learning • Connecticut World Language Framework • Waterbury “Curriculum on Wall” (COW) Kazumi Yamashita-Iverson 2011 JLTANE Conference

6. The Five C’s Kazumi Yamashita-Iverson 2011 JLTANE Conference

7. Maloney Interdistrict Magnet School Japanese Language & Culture Curriculum The 5 C’s! A typical unit will combine elements from each goal area: Communication, Culture, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities. COMMUNICATION Interacting with others - through conversations and some written text Comprehending- the spoken word and some written text Presenting - orally and with some written text Four Task Areas These help teachers to focus planning, instruction and assessment. Socializing products, practices and perspectives of Japan CULTURE COMPARISONS Of Japanese Language and Culture to Our Native Languages and Cultures Experiencing Japan Talking about Myself & Others Getting Things Done COMMUNITIES Using Japanese with native speakers, outside of class, in the community, and just for fun! 4 Language Arts Using and reinforcing language arts skills while talking about stories, listening for a purpose, comparing languages, finding meaning in context, and reading in Japanese and English. Social Studies & Multicultural Curriculum Talking about ourselves, our families, our homes, and communities in Japanese and comparing them to those in Japan. Talking about countries and languages of our heritage and the world; finding them on a map and globe. CONNECTIONSto other subject areas Technology Using iPods, voice recorders Powerpoint, digital storytelling and other technology to learn and demonstrate Japanese Skills. Physical Education Using dance, movement, games, and rules to access language and culture. Math Using math facts, measuring, and conversions to get things done in Japanese. Science Using predicting, experimenting and charting to discuss concepts in Japanese. Music Using music, rhythm, and patterns to access Japanese language and culture. Art Using drawing, color, impact and creativity as an aide to expression in Japanese.

8. Task Areas COMMUNICATION Interacting with others - through conversations and some written text Comprehending- the spoken word and some written text Presenting - orally and with some written text Four Task Areas These help teachers to focus planning, instruction and assessment. Socializing Experiencing Japan Getting Things Done Talking about Myself & Others Kazumi Yamashita-Iverson 2011 JLTANE Conference

9. Experiencing Japan Students “experience Japan” to some extent in every unit, through the use of Japanese items, photographs, games, and videos or by pretending that we are actually in Japan during the unit. At least once per year, however, students have a more in-depth experience with Japanese cultural products and practices, such as participating in the Summer Festival,, taking an imaginary “flight” to Japan, preparing a presentation on a Japanese city, or talking about the New Year’s holiday. In this task area, students continue to develop essential communication skills as they “experience Japan” by describing what happens on these days or discussing what they are doing “in Japan.” At the same time, they develop the vocabulary needed to talk about these important components of Japanese culture. 16

10. Sample Unit-Level Performance-Based Assessments • K-2 • Students memorize a series of sentences describing what happens at the Summer Festival. They present them to the teacher or a peer. • Students listen to a description of what various people are doing in different pictures and mark the correct picture. • 3-5 • Students form pairs and use fake cell phones to call each other on “New Year’s Day” to ask what they are doing. They are required to ask follow-up questions to maintain the conversation as well. • Students look at a picture of an action scene and describe what is happening in the picture. (ex. The girl is playing tops/The boy is reading/The father is writing New Year’s cards, etc.) Experiencing Japan Introduce blue in K-2 classes; Review blue, add black in grades 3-5 Language Functions Vocabulary 17

11. Oshogatsu Units Kazumi Yamashita-Iverson 2011 JLTANE Conference http://kids.wanpug.com/illust193.html

12. Kindergarten Objectives“New Year’s Day in Japan” Students will be able to: • Identify たこ・こま・はねつき・だるま・かどまつ・おせち・ねんがじょう • Identify ある・ない • Sing お正月song • Understand what Japanese people do/use/eat on お正月 • Identify which month is お正月 Kazumi Yamashita-Iverson 2011 JLTANE Conference

13. 1st Grade Objectives“New Year’s Day Poem” Students will be able to: • Identify たこ・こま・はねつき・だるま・かどまつ・おせち・ねんがじょう • Perform お正月Poem • Sing お正月song • Understand and explain in English what Japanese people do/use/eat on お正月 • Identify which month is お正月 Kazumi Yamashita-Iverson 2011 JLTANE Conference

14. 2nd Grade Objectives“What do you see?” Students will be able to: • Identify たこ・こま・はねつき・だるま・かどまつ・おせち・ねんがじょう・ふくわらい・きもの • Identify animals of the Chinese Zodiac • Identify “何を見ているの?”　“＿－を見ている。” • Create ねんがじょう for the Nengajo Contest • Create お正月 book based on “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see?” by Eric Carle • Readthe book to Kindergartens • Perform お正月Poem • Sing お正月song • Understand and explain in English what Japanese people do/use/eat on お正月 • Tell the day of お正月 Kazumi Yamashita-Iverson 2011 JLTANE Conference

15. 3rd Grade Objectives“Japanese New Year Challenge!” Students will be able to: • Identify たこ・こま・はねつき・だるま・かどまつ・おせち・ねんがじょう・ふくわらい・きもの • Read and write 15 hiragana characters: も・ま・と・ね・は・し・ち・つ・た・き・お・る・か • Continue to recognize both the hiragana character and the Romanized pronunciations • Describe the nine New Year’s items in English • Create a Japanese scroll that is culturally accurate in its design • Describe how a Japanese scroll is used in a Japanese home (some English) • Share the scroll with their family Kazumi Yamashita-Iverson 2011 JLTANE Conference

16. 4th Grade Objectives“A Day at Home: My Family, Japanese Families • Students will be able to: • Recognize and identify New Year’s Items • Identify present continuous tense of verbs: 食べている・見ている・読んでいる・書いている・作っている・掃除をしている • Identify family members • Describe what family members are doing • Understand and explain what happens in a Japanese home before and on the New Year’s holiday (in English) Kazumi Yamashita-Iverson 2011 JLTANE Conference

17. Authentic materials • Hands on activities • Different kind of activities • Recycling vocabulary in different ways • Old Vocabulary and new vocabulary Kazumi Yamashita-Iverson 2011 JLTANE Conference

18. Strategies • Recycling vocabulary every or every other year • Multiple Intelligences • TPR • Songs • PowerPoint • Smart Notebook • Individual work/Pair work/group work • Events Kazumi Yamashita-Iverson 2011 JLTANE Conference

19. By the End of 5th Grade • Target Performance Level is the Junior Novice-High of Student Oral Proficiency Assessment (SOPA) Scale Kazumi Yamashita-Iverson 2011 JLTANE Conference

20. Assessment Plan: Target Performance Levels for Communication How well will students be able to communicate by the end of fifth grade? 18